Safety and Efficacy of Cannabis in Tourette Syndrome
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2020-01-27
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
For many individuals with Tourette syndrome (TS), available medications do not help with
their symptoms, or cause significant side effects. Two small controlled trials have
investigated the effect of oral delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a principal psychoactive
ingredient of cannabis, in TS patients. While these trials have shown promising results, the
effect sizes were not as large and consistent as those reported by patients with regards to
inhaled cannabis (smoked or vaporized). Indeed, based on anecdotal evidence, patients have
much greater improvement in their symptoms using inhaled cannabis than using cannabinoid
pharmaceuticals. However, there have been no controlled trials of inhaled medical cannabis
for TS to date. Furthermore, various medical cannabis products are authorized in Canada with
different contents of THC and cannabidiol (CBD), another primary cannabinoid. No data exists
regarding the dosing, efficacy and safety of these products in the treatment of TS. To gather
such data, a double-blind, randomized, crossover pilot trial will be conducted to compare the
efficacy and safety of three vaporized medical cannabis products with different THC and CBD
contents, as well as placebo, in adults with TS. As well, the PK/PD profile of THC and CBD of
the products will be assessed and correlated with tic symptoms